Back from Beyond
by elfmaiden4legs
Summary: These are the 2 chapters I wrote for my own Wind in the Willows sequal following on from Willam Horwood's final novel in an attempt to bring some of my fav childhood characters back.
1. MR MOLE OF MOLE END

**1. Mr Mole of Mole End**

Many years had passed since the last generation of River Bank residence had passed on into beyond and nephew, or Mole as he now was known sat in front of the fire at Mole End in what had once been his uncle's favourite armchair. Although, which now belonged to him, just like all of the Mole's other worldly possessions, which he had so faithfully left to his nephew. He was now of exactly the same age which the Mole himself had been when he had first discovered his new life by the river bank, and as he sat he sipped slowly his glass of home made sloe and blackberry (the recipe for which he had also inherited from his uncle), although he had found that he had never been able to make the drink with quite the same expertise as the Mole himself had done. He began to contemplate all of what his uncle had once taught him, and the kind of life which the Mole had once led. A life which the Mole's nephew himself was also destined for (been mainly brought up by his uncle in the company of the riverbank residence), and he thought, (drifting in and out of peaceful slumber), fond memories of his uncle came flooding back to him, memories of events which he had long since forgotten. They came to him as if in a dream, hazy at first but growing ever stronger. Then am ember shot from the fire and the Mole woke with a start. He sat there for a while, dazed and confused, a split second of wonder of where he was before remembrance and recognition of his own front room and Mole End. He sat up, rubbing his sore and aching eyes wearily, then a sudden moment of wonder and recognition made him pause and listen…

The river was calling to him. Never before had the Mole's nephew head her song so urgently. He listened for what could easily have been hours, but which was probably no more than just a few minutes. Soon her song faded as suddenly as it had reached him, carried on the wind and the rustling willows, before the air around Mole End was silent once more. Still, the Mole sat, a sudden feeling of longing and restlessness gripped him before that too faded and he was left alone once more. Suddenly he rose, and picking up the smouldering ember he stood and stared into the fire as if it might spark off some distant memory of time long since past. But the Mole received no answer to his questioning pleas, and so slowly and with an air of reluctance he tossed the warm ember back into the centre of the fire, where it sat quivering for a moment in torment of the angry flames. Then the Mole stood deep in thought for a long time, before sleep caught up with him, and he slept where he had sat, undisturbed until dawn, when a coal slipped from the hearth and the Mole woke with a start. He tried desperately to recall his dream, for it had brought him peace and comfort for a while, when lately he had been feeling slightly lonely and had appeared to his friends strangely restless, if not a little inclined to tears. No one had noticed this more so than the Badger, who, like his father before him had inherited a great deal of wisdom from his legendary grandfather, and as time had passed had become almost as wise as he. Indeed he had paid his friend a great many visits since the cold winter months had set in, such was his concern for the young Mole's wellbeing. But every time he had been greeted not unlike the Mole's uncle himself would have welcomed his friends, and they had passed the time of day as the Rat and Mole themselves would have done, spending long hours deep in conversation of past events and making plans for the coming of spring. But as the winter drew on the Mole had appeared to show some progress and the Badger had felt less inclined to visit his friend so frequently, then the winter weather had become more savage and the Badger's regular visits to Mole End has ceased completely. Indeed, it had been so long now since the Mole had been paid a visit by any of his friends that nobody had noticed the deterioratetion of his current state of mind, and the Mole had once again become gloomy and restless.

On this day however the snow and cold wind had subsided somewhat and young Rat felt that the time had come for him to travel upstream and pay a long awaited visit on his friend Mole's nephew. Of course he knew that it would be shear folly to attempt to row, for the current was still too fast even for a creature so accustomed to the ways of the river as he, and so he decided to journey by foot and cross the river further upstream where the banks were less steep and their slopes closer together, where the currents flowed slower and were less angry.

And so it was that he set off that morning, (later than he had initially planned), after filling his wicker luncheon basket (which had at one time belonged to old Ratty himself) from bits and bobs from his own simple larder, for his friend was sure to be hungry, and he had thought that the two of them might make a day of it. The journey as a long one and was made all the more arduous when the snow began to fall once again and young Rat was forced to take refuge at Otter's house, who despite his father's concerns had grown to be not unlike the respectable and knowledgeable figure which his father himself had once been. Soon however the snow settled and after the Otter had finished adding a few extra items to the luncheon basket from his own ample larder the Rat set off again. He snow lay thicker on the ground this time round however, and it took young Rat a great deal longer to reach the crossing than he had expected. The journey became easier from that point however, and the Rat set off through the fields leading to Mole End at a purposeful pace, the wicker luncheon basket swaying softly from side to side, where it was hooked loosely around his small paw, as he did so.

On his arrival however the Mole kept him waiting on the doorstep for a great many minutes, before welcoming the Rat in the same manner he had done the Badger on those many previous visits which his friend had paid him. Yet after the initial jollities of the occasion the Mole fell silent again, which concerned the Rat gravely, for never had he seen his friend behave so oddly before.

The two friends sat in complete silence for a while when the tactful Rat suggested that perhaps they might take a walk before they ate, in the hope that the Mole might decide to reveal himself But all was in vein and they barely spoke at all, apart from when the Mole turned to the Rat and appeared to mutter something to his friend under his breath. But when the Rat turned to him the Mole turned away and for a moment the Rat thought he saw a tear in his friends eye, but still the kindly Rat didn't say a word and decided that the Mole's sudden outburst would probably pass quicker if he thought nobody had noticed. But it didn't pass and the Mole remained silent and tearful until they reached the comforting warmth of Mole End, where, exhausted, he collapsed into an armchair and slept while the Rat busied himself with the luncheon basket and stoked the fire and then continued to sit in silence and wait for the young Mole to awake in his own time, when he was ready.

When the Mole finally did awake he seemed to be more like his old self and so the Rat set to preparing the contents of the luncheon basket and stoking the fire as it had almost gone out, so they might have a arm drink and toast their aching toes and be generally jolly as had been the custom of the late Mr Mole.

It was later that same evening, when both had eaten to their satisfaction, and now sat warming themselves by the fire that the Mole finally felt inclined to explain himself a little to the water Rat, who like the good friend he was, sat and listened intently as his friend talked initially about general things, before moving on into deeper ground and those subjects which are closer to the heart.

"Ratty," The Mole asked, with a tear in his eye, "you know that we have often talked about the possibility of maybe there being a beyond, do you… do you…"

It was at that point that the poor Mole felt quite overwhelmed and the tears which he had fought back for so long now threatened to fall. Yet still the Rat remained silent, and it was only when his friend appeared quite overcome by the thought of whatever it was that was troubling him that the Rat put down his pipe and placed a comforting arm around the Mole's shoulders making soft murmurings of understanding until his friend seemed quite settled once again and the Rat returned to his seat to take another gentle puff of his tobacco.

"My dear fellow." Exclaimed he. "There is no maybe about it. For both of us know that there almost certainly is a place, for we both of us have seen it. We were once privileged to witness our forefathers final journey and were there to see them reach their final destination where they were taken from this world and led by He far from that holy place which the island surely must be, ad beyond."

They both sat in complete silence for a time until the Mole, now quite recovered, though still feeling slightly ill at ease, found himself drifting back into a restless sleep abruptly broken only by the hallucinations of a troubled mind. Whilst the Rat continued to sit in silence for a while stoking the fire when it showed signs of dying and adding new fire wood when it threatened to go out completely. For he did not want to leave his friend and felt that he might still be needed further, for the Mole's sleep was of a broken and troubled sort and he called out frequently kicking out his legs and thrashing his arms, breathing heavily until the fit appeared to pass and he sat still and appeared settled once more though whimpering occasionally at intervals, before seeming to pass into a much deeper state of sleep, where he slept soundly, undisturbed until morning.

Indeed, it would be true to say that his symptoms were not unlike those of his uncle, when, many years previous, he had had his own first encounter with beyond.


	2. SEARCH AT FIRST LIGHT

**2. Search At First Light**

When the Rat awoke at first light the next day he had an uneasy feeling that something was dreadfully wrong. He sat up suddenly and looked about for the Mole. The fire had burned out hours previous and their was an icy draft coming from beneath the little front door, as the winter winds continued to swell outside. But that was the least of the Rat's worries, for he felt sure that something dreadful had happened in the night, for the river was telling him so.

He called out for the Mole then stood and listened for a while, the house seemed very quiet, too quiet even. Then the Rat noticed that the Mole's jacket was missing from its peg, and his boots were also gone. Suddenly Mole End began to shake vigorously as an extra strong gust of wind passed through the roots supporting the Mole's ancestral home and the poor Rat barely managed to reach the door and pull himself to safety before the whole right side of Mole End caved in on itself and all was devastation and disarray. The Rat had barely recovered from the ordeal when he heard a voice calling his name. He looked up but could see nothing far beyond his paws positioned but a few centimetres in front of him, reaching out desperately looking for an escape route from the cloud of dust and debris which had completely engulfed him. Suddenly a paw reached out from nowhere, grabbing him and pulling him back towards light and sound and all which is held most dear.

"Ratty." Came the voice again, though rather more urgently now.

The Rat looked up, still coughing and spluttering a little though rather more the better now for fresh air and the cool breeze upon his face.

"Otter." He cried as the haze cleared somewhat and his head stopped spinning enough for him to make out the Otter staring back at him.

"Ratty are you alright?" Spoke the Otter.

"I think so," Spluttered the Rat, "but… why my dear fellow whatever is the matter?"

"Ratty, something terrible has happened, I can sense it."

"Yes I know." Replied the Rat, in some degree of urgency. "Mole is missing."

"I had this dream." Went on the Otter. "I didn't quite understand it at first… but…. now I know it was the River, she was trying to tell me something was wrong." Then the Otter became quite overcome and completely broke down under his emotional strain, (for although he had inherited a defiant and optimistic disposition from his father, he was nowhere near as sturdy a character as he).

"Ratty," He cried in between the soft convulsions of his ribs and chest, "we must find him, something is terribly amiss."

The Rat stood deep in thought for a long time after, before he suddenly took off across the fields, baying the Otter to follow him, which he did, tough not quite fast enough for he was rather quite exhausted and properly wet through from many falls and tumbles, and he soon lost sight of his friend. Desperately however, he pushed on, following the Rat's footprints carefully moulded into the newly fallen snow, a clear trail leading purposefully in the direction of the River.

Presently the Otter stopped and found himself standing directly at the River's edge. He looked around for the Rat, but could see no trace of him, and… and then he saw him, sitting on the river bank, his legs dangling in the water. He looked at first to the Otter almost asleep, his eyes closed, his head hung low, his body limp, but his legs swayed gently from side to side in the water. That was evident enough to the Otter, for the water around the Rat's ankles rippled softly, splashing the Rat's legs with a cool and kindly affection.

Suddenly the Rat looked up in the direction of the Otter and beckoned him over.

"Otter, my dear chap, I need you to do something for me." He told his unsuspecting friend.

"Anything for you Ratty." Replied the Otter.

"I'm going to teach you to commune with the River." He said. "For I feel that she might have something very important to tell us concerning the Mole's disappearance, but I do not yet completely understand her ways like dear old Ratty used to, so I am going to need your help. Now come and sit beside me and trail your feet in the water as I have done."

The Otter presently obeyed and sat down on the bank beside his friend, his feet dangling in the water.

"Now," said the Rat, "all you need to do is listen, the rest will come to you eventually."

The Otter sat for a while in complete silence, wondering how long it would take before the rest would come to him and what his friend could possibly have meant by it. Had it all been some sick practical joke on the Rat's behalf? The Otter thought not, it was not in his nature. Now maybe Toad, that was another matter, but never Ratty. Maybe he just hadn't got it in him? Maybe he wasn't as gifted as his father had been? Nor the Rat? Maybe he wasn't pure enough of heart?

He was just about to give up when he heard music, sweet singing, but where could it be coming from? He sat up, fully alert now, desperate to suss out that sweet singers hiding place, so as he might hunt her down as she might sing to him again, but…

The Otter gave a quite cry of surprise for the singing was coming from within his own head. The words were jumbled at first, but as he concentrated harder they became clearer, and at that point there was no doubt in his mind that it was the River talking to him, just as the Rat had said she would!

The Otter listened carefully to what she had to say, encouraging her to go on when her singing started to die and thanking her when her song ended completely, and opening his eyes again, blinking with the piercing light of the morning, he looked around for the Rat. Who he saw was no longer sitting beside him but standing a little further up the bank with a contented smile upon his face, though looking weary and aged in the Otter's opinion.

"So," Spoke the Rat, "you have finally done what you have long thought to be impossible. Though I must admit it took you a great deal longer than even I myself could have imagined."

"Yes," said the Otter, "it took me a while to find courage enough in myself to believe in my own ability, for we both of us know that in the past there had not been a great deal there to believe in."

"On the contrary my dear fellow," spoke the Rat, "although in the past you have not always made the correct decisions, though everything you have done had always been with the best of intentions, you have today proved yourself to be a worthy animal, your father would have been proud. So what did she tell you?"

"She told me," spoke the Otter, "that Mole is very much alive, though sick and weary he may be."

"She told me the same thing." Said the Rat. "Oh, Otter its all my fault. I should have noticed how unstable he was from the start and done something about it, tough never would have I imagined that he'd go and do something like this. It's just not in his character to run off without telling anyone."

"Come on," said the Otter, "we can get the boat out and row up to Badger's, he'll know what to do."


End file.
